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Friday, July 13, 2012

Baby's day out(Part 1).

Yesterday, Ms A had a school trip to attend to. With both the kids away the entire day I had 8 hours all to myself. What fun to leave the house and do something that you like? I have always wanted to walk through vineyards, without any interruption. So, narrowing down on the ones below the Festung Mairenberg in Würzburg, I took the train to this lovely town, which is only 45 minutes away.

Würzburg is a blend of both old and new, with modern shopping malls and cafes sandwiched between old churches and stucco buildings, it's a delight for both the young and old to simply walk through and take in the smells and sights.At the heart of the town, right beside the Marienkapelle(the red church) is the markt platz. With festivals happening round the clock, colorful stalls and food courts adorn this place all through the year. I have a favorite one which sells the best franconian bratwurst. After relishing one which was my lunch and wandering around the stalls, I proceeded to the Alte Mainbrücke(Old Main bridge).

One of the oldest and loveliest stone bridges in Germany, it has amazing views over the Main with the small ships docked to the side, the fortress right on top of the mountain with the sprawling vineyards below and the towers of St Kilian church on the other end. 12 larger than life statues of saints and emperors are placed on both the sides of the bridge. Above is St. Burkard, Würzburg's first bishop. There is always a flurry of activity on this bridge.....Guided tours with tourists, lovers holding hands and looking upward to the fortress, wine lovers sipping on that glass of wine(yes, they were standing on the bridge with their glasses), photo enthusiasts like me waiting for that moment of respite from the crowds to get the perfect shot and the elderly, seating themselves on the stone benches for that much awaited break.

Once you go over the bridge, there are clear signs guiding you to the fortress. The option in front of me were two paths - 20 minutes by stairs or 40 minutes through vineyards. Both uphill.

You can guess what I chose...:-)

As I climbed up steadily, the roof tops of Würzburg slowly came into sight. It was indeed breathtaking. I spent quite some time taking it all in, after all there was nobody along with me.

The Marienberg fortress is a prominent landmark of Würzburg. It was the home of the prince bishops from 1201 until the 18th century. With two courtyards, towers, a church and gardens, you need quite some time to explore both inside and outside.
Having already done the tours of the above 2 years ago I could not wait to get into the vineyards. Only problem was I couldn't figure out how to get to them.....:D